Failing Schools Showed Progress With Most of the Same Teachers

Much of the widely reported improvement in student achievement at eight inner-city Chattanooga, Tenn., schools seems to be linked to the rising effectiveness of teachers who had been at the schools when their students’ performance was dismal, a report from an education think tank concludes.

That finding goes against the way the elementary schools’ story has often been told by education reformers, many of whom have focused on financial incentives that were meant to lure better teachers to the schools.

“In this case, we see . . . an existing staff improve over time,” said Elena Silva, the author of the report, which was slated for release this week by the Washington-based Education Sector .